Althoff dominates Camp Point Central to return to state title game

Dierre Hill Jr. turned in another prime-time performance and the Althoff Crusaders defense made life hard for visiting Camp Point Central on Saturday afternoon.

Hill erupted for five rushing touchdowns and the defense shut down Camp Point Central in the second half as Althoff Catholic rolled to a 58-19 victory at Martz Field in the Class 1A semifinals.

Althoff (13-0) advances to face Lena Winslow next Friday at 10 a.m. in the IHSA Class 1A championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal on the Illinois State University campus.

Knocking out Camp Point Central, which ended Althoff’s season in last season’s quarterfinals, was sweet payback for the Crusaders, who had wanted another shot at the Panthers since last November.

“We played them last year and the things they were saying on our side of the field and what they were doing us ... we just got truly dominated that game,” Althoff senior defensive lineman Jason Dowell said. “We wanted to come back and get our revenge, of course, and we did it in the most righteous way we could. And we had fun doing it.”

Crusaders quarterback Jayden Ellington set the tone early for Althoff, scoring on a sizzling 65-yard touchdown run up the middle for a quick 7-0 lead just 12 seconds into the action.

“I was fired up coming into the game, especially with the video they made about us saying we are not a team and just one guy, one person,” Ellington said. “I took that personally.”

Defending 1A champion Camp Point Central responded with a pair of touchdowns on an 87-yard Elijiah Gennenbacher-to-Nate Peters touchdown pass and a Curtis Rigg 5-yard touchdown run to take a 12-7 lead.

Althoff answered on a 53-yard scoring run by Hill to go back ahead 15-12 late in the first quarter.

Camp Point, using its ball-control offense got the lead back on a 2-yard Gennebacher keeper run with 11:56 left in the first half.

Hill, Ellington, and the Crusaders’ offense kicked into high gear. Hill scored on touchdown runs of 38, 24, and 53 yards as Althoff built a commanding 36-19 by halftime.

The Oregon-bound Hill had arguably his best game to date with 318 yards rushing on just 13 carries with five touchdowns.

“I didn’t really feel like I had to (play big) but I just knew the mission and just stuck to our mission and our mission was to keep going,“ he said. “Every time I touched the ball, it’s to score and that’s my mentality.”

Ellington, who ran for 110 yards, added a 45-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Hill finished his big day off with a dazzling 99-yard touchdown dash in the fourth quarter.

Althoff ran for 465 yards on the ground and scored on eight possessions.

The Crusaders defense also shined.

After giving up 19 points in the first half, the Crusaders defense up big with a pair of red zone stops in the second half that crippled the Panthers offense.

“For us to get to get a stop of them on the 1-yard line twice, that shows the grit of our defense and what we have,” Dowell said. “That took their hearts. They didn’t want to play this game anymore.”

Crusaders coach Austin Frazier praised his team’s effort.

“I’m really happy we could get this one and we won because of discipline to details today,” Frazier said. “I couldn’t be more proud because of them.”

It was a bitter end for Camp Point Central (12-2) which fell to Althoff for the second time in three playoff games.

“They’re big — much bigger than us up front — and I think that was the difference in the game from last year,” Camp Point coach Brad Dixon said.

Althoff will be seeking its fourth state title next weekend. The Crusaders won their last state crown in 1990 in Class 3A.